


A Thief and a Dancer Part 3

by Astro986



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astro986/pseuds/Astro986
Summary: This is my interpretation of the Ferris Wheel scene with Ren and Kasumi. There are spoilers, so please think twice before reading.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Kasumi
Comments: 27
Kudos: 66





	A Thief and a Dancer Part 3

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy was this a doozy. I would have posted this sooner but I was just bursting with ideas. This is my longest work yet, so feel free to take your time reading. As I wrote this, I’ve come to realize just how much I love these two together. As usual, I own none of the characters or the story as they belong to Atlus. I do own the dialogue and all of the extra stuff I added, however.
> 
> Enjoy and thank you for reading!

This was it. Today is the last day before the Phantom Thieves and Takuto go head to head. Every day has been absolutely nerve-racking for everyone, including Ren. Ren was barely able to get any sleep last night. All he could do was just stare at the calling card Yusuke had prepared. As he stared into their trademark logo, Ren's mind wandered to rest of the Thieves and everything they've been through.

It's because of all the turmoil as well as the mental and emotional pain they went through to become the people they are today. And just a few days ago, it was like nothing ever happened. Ryuji was back on the track team, Haru's father was alive again, Makoto was shopping for a present for her father, Morgana was a human, Ann was with Shiho, who had never transferred, Yusuke's coveted "Sayuri" painting was in a museum, which made him famous, and Sumire would still be posing as her twin sister, Kasumi. 

Then, he thought to his predicament. If it wasn't for him stepping in between Shido and that woman, Ren never would have become a Phantom Thief. He wouldn't have met the others. He wouldn't have ever met his girlfriend, which although he loved his other friends dearly, this bothered him the most. Sumire had been through so much. Watching the blood drain from her sister’s body after she got hit instead of her, going through survivor's guilt, having her cognition changed and then struggling to find herself. 

"Ren." Morgana called.

Ren didn't answer. He was staring out the window of the metro and into the dimly lit tunnels, lost in his own thoughts.

"Ren!" Morgana shouted.

Still no answer. If there was one thing Morgana hated, it was being ignored. So, he decided to take action. As any cat would do, Morgana climbed out of the bag until the upper half of his body was out. He then reached up and slapped Ren with his paw.

"Ow! What was that for?" Ren said as he rubbed his cheek. 

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past fifteen minutes, but you were just staring at nothing." Morgana said as he slithered his back into Ren's bag.

"So you slap me? You couldn't have waved your paw in my face or something?" Ren said with an annoyed tone.

"I could have but where's the fun in that?" Morgana said as he popped his head out of his bag. 

Ren didn't have the mental capacity to counter him right now and just looked back out the window. 

"Our stop is coming up, by the way." Morgana said. 

And right on cue, the conductor announced that they have arrived at Aoyama-Itchome. Ren got up and fought his way through the horde of people who were rushing to get in and out of the metro.

Once he managed to exit the train, Morgana popped his head out of the bag again. Instead of looking behind Ren, as per usual, his head was in front of the bag.

"Are you okay Ren?" Morgana asked as he looked up at him.

Ren responded with an "Mm-hmm." Morgana stared at him and narrowed his eyes. He knew something was up.

"Are you sure? You're quieter than usual today and you look tired." 

"I barely slept last night. And your constant nagging isn't helping." Ren said aggressively.

Out of all the Thieves, Morgana has spent the most time with Ren. There have been other times when he didn't get a lot of sleep and boy can he be cranky. Granted, he kind of has every right to be at this point.

“...sorry...” Morgana said dejectedly as he slid back inside the bag.

Ren noticed that Morgana sounded a little hurt from what he said. He pinched the bridges of his nose and sighed.

“Look, I’m sorry Morgana. You didn’t deserve that. I’m just really on edge. I know you’re just trying to help.” 

Morgana’s head emerged from the bag again.

“It’s alright, I know you didn’t mean it. I’m just really worried about you.” He said.

Ren gave a slight smile.

“I know. I appreciate it.” He said as he rubbed Morgana’s head.

Morgana purred a little bit and nuzzled Ren’s hand.

“Let’s hurry! School’s about to start!” Morgana said in a slightly panicked voice.

“Don’t remind me.

That was the last thing Ren said before he booked it to Shujin.

——————  
2-2 - Thursday - Afternoon

Class had finally ended. Ren could have sworn it was never that long before. It always seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Ren didn’t know if it was because he wasn’t paying attention half the time or Morgana kept distracting him. Either way, it doesn’t matter. He’s too tired and stressed to care right now.

Once he had exited the classroom and made his way toward the exit, he heard someone call his name.

“Ren!” 

Ren turned around to see Sumire running up to him. Although things aren’t great right now, seeing Sumire never fails to make Ren smile. 

“Hey Sumi.” He said as they kissed each other’s cheek.

The kissing still tends to make Sumire blush a little bit. But Ren doesn’t seem to be fazed by it. 

“How was your day?” She asked.

Ren took a deep breath before answering.

“Stressful. I barely got any sleep last night.” He said.

Sumire gave him a worried look.

“You too huh?” 

This caught Ren by surprise. Sumire didn’t look tired. She was just running toward him.

“You didn’t sleep either?” He asked.

Sumire shook her head.

“Not really...”

“Sorry to hear that...” He said.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sumire said with a smile.

Both of them started to walk out of Shujin. 

“I guess since tomorrow is the day we either set things right or fail trying is affecting all of us.” Ren said.

“Yeah...” Sumire said with a somber look.

Ren held out his hand for Sumire to hold, which she did. As they intertwined their fingers, both of them relished in the warm feeling of their hands, especially since it’s cold out.

“So...any plans today?” Ren asked.

“Nope. I don’t have practice, so I’m free for the day.” 

Sumire sounded really glad when she said that. It’s not that she doesn’t love dancing, far from it. But with the fate of the world in her hands mixed with her lack of sleep, she’s really glad that she doesn’t have to do anything strenuous.

“By the way, where’s Morgana?” She asked.

“Cat’s in the bag.” Ren said with a smug grin.

Normally, that would be Morgana’s cue to go off and say how he’s not a cat. But to Ren’s surprise, he didn’t. Now that he thought about it, and felt it for that matter, Morgana isn’t in the bag anymore.

“Wait, where is he? He was in my bag a little while ago.” Ren said.

Sumire tilted her head to side and blinked in confusion. Morgana is always with Ren, so where did he go? Just then, Ren’s phone started buzzing. It was a message from Makoto.

“Is there a reason why Morgana is in my bag and not yours?” She said.

Ren's eyes widened in shock. How did Morgana sneak out of the bag without him noticing? Ren would have felt the bag shuffle a little bit.

“I’m...not quite sure?” He replied.

“Oh, he said it was because you were with Sumire.” 

Ren blinked while Sumire covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Morgana knows better whenever Ren is with Sumire. He has screwed himself out of sushi and has been the victim of button mashing too many times. 

“Make sure to keep your phone with you at all times. The last time I was alone with her, he ruined it by stealing Sojiro’s phone and harassing me about sushi.” He replied. 

“...I see. I’ll make sure he stays out of trouble. Let me know when you two are finished and I’ll come drop him off.” 

“Thanks Makoto.” 

“You’re welcome!”

Ren put his phone back in his pocket and turned to Sumire, who was trying so hard not to laugh.

“Looks like he finally learned his lesson.” She said while giggling.

Ren shook his head. He loves Morgana like a brother but sheesh he’s a handful sometimes.

“Let’s hope he did this time...” He said with an annoyed tone.

The couple then continued their way down the street, still holding hands. It wasn’t long until Ren could see the train station and see Sumire off. But he wanted to spend the day with her instead. 

“Hey Ren?” She asked.

“Yeah?”

“Instead of going home, let’s go do something fun!” 

Ren wasn’t expecting that coincidence, but he was certainly thankful for it. 

“Sure. Funny enough, I was...uhh...actually thinking of asking you out today.” He said with a small blush.

Sumire gave him a cheerful, yet playful smile. It wasn’t everyday she got to see him flustered. She was the one who was always a blushing mess. Sumire would love to tease him, but she knew how tired he was, so she’ll let him off this time.

“Wait, you’re really tired Ren. Maybe we should wait instead.” She said.

Ren shook his head with a smile.

“I’m fine dear.”

“But Ren...”

Sumire looked at Ren with her big, red eyes. And like a sap, Ren falls for them every time.

“Alright alright. We won’t do anything too fun.” He said with a smile.

“Ok, so...where do you want to go?” Sumire asked.

“Lady’s choice.”

“Umm...I...don’t really know.” She said.

After a few seconds of silence, Ren spoke up.

“Wanna go to Destiny Land? We won’t go on any exhilarating rides.”

“Oooh! I’ve always wanted to go to Destiny Land! Let’s go!” Sumire said as she dragged Ren with excitement.

It took about 40 minutes or so to reach Destiny Land. Unfortunately, they went when it was still rush hour, which means Ren and Sumire had to practically glue themselves together so they wouldn’t be separated. 

Ren had a really aggravated look on his face during the entire metro ride. The people were just so irritating today. 

In addition to an ill-behaved child pulling on Ren’s bag, he had to restrain himself from getting violent when someone forcefully shoved Sumire so they could exit the train. Sumire was also just as annoyed, but she wasn’t going to let it affect her time with Ren.

When the couple finally got off the train, they both took a moment to regain their composure after what they just had to endure.

“Are you alright Sumire?” Ren asked with concern.” 

Sumire nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? That guy pushed you really hard...” He said as he grabbed and rubbed Sumire’s hand.

“Don’t worry sweetie, I’m fine. I have you here with me.” Sumire said with a smile.

Ren stared at her for a second before offering his arm, to which she took.

“Ready to face your destiny?” Ren asked in a joking manner.

Sumire couldn’t help laughing at the joke.

“Yes, I’m ready.” 

And with that, Ren and Sumire walked out of the station, but not before Sumire leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.

Destiny Land was surprisingly less chaotic than Ren and Sumire thought it would be. The place is usually packed with people, and you'd think there would be in Takuto's "perfect" world. At least it was good for something and didn't cause the couple any more unnecessary headaches. 

Ren and Sumire spent most of their time just walking around the amusement park holding hands, enjoying some of the booths and eating various foods. To this day, Ren cannot believe how much Sumire can eat. She's put away a large pretzel, two king size bags of popcorn, two hot dogs, a platter of nachos, which she shared with Ren, a large soda and four sticks of cotton candy. 

And this was all within a two hour time frame. Granted, she is a professional gymnast and she needs to eat more than usual, but it's amazing how someone as petite as her can devour all of that. Aside from the nachos Sumire shared with him, all Ren had was a bag of popcorn and some water.

\-----------------------

2/2 - Thursday - Evening

Once they finished eating, evening had set in. Ren and Sumire were thinking about what to do next. They'd done a lot, so what was left to do? Ren suddenly got an idea in his head.

"Want to go on the Ferris Wheel Sumi?" He asked. 

Sumire was finishing her last piece of cotton candy before replying.

"I'd wuv to!" She said with a mouth full of cotton candy.

Ren snickered at her, which caused her to blush. 

"Ay! Dop waughing at meh!" She scolded.

This made Ren burst out laughing. Sumire put the whole cone of cotton candy in her mouth and has yet to swallow it all. Amongst his laughter, Ren heard her groan a little bit before being hit in the face with the cone, which caused him to laugh harder. Who knew Sumire had that kind of fire in her? Ren certainly didn't and was loving every second of it. His laughter must have been contagious because she started laughing as well.

After Sumire finally swallowed her cotton candy and Ren's laughter calmed down, the two threw out their trash and headed toward the ferris wheel. With it being nighttime, not many people were at Destiny Land any more. Sure, there was a handful of people still hanging around, but not as many as when Ren and Sumire came in.

Ren and Sumire both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw there wasn't a line to the Ferris Wheel. Both of them were well past the point of exhaustion, but they really didn't care. They were having fun and enjoying each other's company. Eventually, the couple entered one of the cars to the Ferris Wheel and sat beside each other.

Ren noticed that Sumire looked a little nervous as she was fidgeting about with her hands. 

"Something wrong?" He asked.

Sumire looked back up at him with a somewhat pained smile. 

"Y-y-yeah, I'm okay..." She trailed off.

Ren raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"I don't think so. You look really uncomfortable." He said flat out.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Sumire spoke up again.

"I...have a slight fear of heights..." She said.

Ren felt his heart sink for a second. He didn't know that Sumire was afraid of heights. 

"I...didn't know that. Do you want to get off?" He asked awkwardly. 

Sumire shook her head no.

"No, it's okay. We already got on and you're here with me, so everything will be okay." She said with a smile.

And right on cue, the car jerked a little bit, which signified that it was starting to move. This startled Sumire a little bit. Ren was kind of taken back because Sumire has been in high places before, so what's with this fear? Ren scooted closer and held her hand to comfort her. Similar to when he defended her from that guy who was trying to "give her a ride", she immediately got closer to him. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ren asked with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little jumpy and tired." Sumire said as she leaned into him. 

"Me too." Ren said as he held Sumire to keep her calm."

At that point, the Ferris Wheel had stopped moving. Ren turned his head to look out the window. He had a bird's eye view of Destiny Land. Despite the lack of people, the entire theme park was lit up. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, which is ironic because they're technically living in one. And whether or not it would end was soon to be decided. 

"Ren..." Sumire began.

Ren looked back down at her. She sounded really worried.

"What is it?" He replied.

"I'm scared about tomorrow. I know what we said before about how we're the only ones who can stop Takuto. But ever since he gave us that deadline, every day became more and more dreadful. And now that day is almost here and I'm petrified..." Sumire started to shake as she said this.

Ren could only bite his lip in response to this. He'd been feeling the exact same way and he's pretty sure everyone else has too. Tomorrow could be the day where they lose everything. Takuto may have good intentions, but the way he's going about it makes him nothing more than a benevolent tyrant. 

"I know you're scared Sumi. I'm scared too...we all are. In fact, it's..." Ren trailed off.

This caught Sumire's attention.

"You trailed off there." She said.

Ren looked out the window again with a somber look.

"What is it Ren? What were you going to tell me?" Sumire asked.

Ren took a deep breath through his nose before he said anything else.

"...It's why I wanted to ask you out today."

Sumire was shocked. Even Ren is skeptical of their success. He really did take Akechi's words to heart when he said to "make the most of the time they had". Should things take a turn for the worst tomorrow, at least Ren was able to spend his remaining time with the girl he loves the most. The mere thought of this brought Sumire to tears. It was only when she made a sniffle that Ren looked at her again. 

“Sumire...” He said in a somber tone.

She started sobbing pretty hard as she snuggled to him. Ren immediately regretted his words. The last thing he wanted to see his girlfriend in tears.

“Sumi...I...I’m sor-“

Before Ren could finish, Sumire suddenly grabbed and kissed him. Ren wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction. Sumire isn’t usually that forward when it comes to intimacy. Then again, even Ren got a little flustered with it.

The Ferris Wheel started to move once again, but this time, Sumire wasn't startled. Her and Ren were still kissing. They stopped right before their car was at ground level. Once the door to the Ferris Wheel car opened, the couple made a swift exit. Both their faces were beet red, but they were smiling and laughing like total saps.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected." Ren said with a laugh.

Sumire giggled.

"I honestly don't know what came over me..." She said with a shy smile.

"Me either, but I'm glad it did. He said.

Ren grabbed Sumire's hand.

"Ready to go?" 

"Yes!" She said.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't that late in the evening. It was only 6:30 PM, so the night was still young. The couple had entered LeBlanc and was greeted by Sojiro.

"Ah, you're back." Sojiro said as he fumbled with his newspaper.

"Hey Boss." Ren said casually.

"Hi Boss!" Sumire said with a gleeful smile. 

Sojiro folded his newspaper and threw it on one of the booth's tables. 

"So, where exactly did you go today?" He asked.

"To school." Ren said plainly.

"For 13 hours?"

"Well, I went to Destiny Land with Sumire after school, but both were an educational experience." Ren said in a joking manner. 

Sojiro put his hand up to his chin and looked at Ren. That statement sounded very strange.

"Is that so?" He said with a smile.

Ren stared at Sojiro with a confused look who then glanced at Sumire, who was just as confused. Sojiro's swiftly glancing back and forth between the couple is when Ren realized what he was implying, causing him to erupt into an immense blush.

"Uhh...not that educational..." Ren said awkwardly rubbing his neck.

Ren then turned around to look at his girlfriend. She was blushing twice as hard while covering her face with her hands. Sojiro just laughed at the two. 

“Heh. Relax, I was only joking.” Sojiro’s said.

Ren just gave him an annoyed look. Sumire was peeking through her fingers as she was still embarrassed by the implication.

“I’m going home, lock up for me will ya?” Sojiro asked.

“Sure thing.” Ren said as he nodded.

Sojiro grabbed his fedora as he walked toward the door. But before he left, he had to savor this moment one last time.

“Hey.” He called.

Ren and Sumire turned around to look at him.

“Be gentle with her.” Sojiro said playfully.

“Sojiro!” Ren shouted.

All Ren heard was his caretaker laughing as the door opened and closed.

“Did he really have to say that...?” Sumire asked awkwardly.

“I think I’ve been a positive influence on him.” Ren said with a smug grin.

“Ren! Don’t condone it!” She scolded.

Now Ren is doing it. Sumire couldn’t catch a break here.

“Ok ok, I’m sorry. I'm just kidding." Ren said as he placed his bag down on the bar.

Sumire had walked over and placed her bag on one of the booth's tables, so she wouldn't confuse her bag with Ren's. 

"Want some coffee?" Ren asked.

"Isn't it a little late for that?" Sumire asked as she took a seat at the bar. It was the same seat she took when her and Ren first got together.

"Decaf." Ren said plainly.

"Oh...right." Sumire said as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

The exhaustion was beginning to set in. Sumire's mind turning on and off at this point. No doubt Ren feels the same. 

"You okay Sumi? Ren asked.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." She said. 

"So am I. But today was a lot of fun, wasn't it?"

Sumire giggled.

"It was! I never really go to places like that. I mostly spend my time practicing, studying, walking around the city and being with you. You, on the other hand...you go everywhere." She said.

"Honestly, I'm not that much of an extrovert. I only go to places that pique my interest." Ren said as he placed the cup of coffee in front of Sumire.

"I was the same way for a little while, but Kasumi decided that wasn't acceptable. She constantly dragged me out of the house to go somewhere. It's actually why I always walk around that shopping area." Sumire said with a smile.

Despite all that's happened, and what's going to happen, Sumire was very cheerful when Kasumi was brought up. It seems like she's finally put the pain behind her. Seeing her happy is honestly the reason he's managed to stay awake so long. 

"I always wondered why you were in that plaza. Or rather, that flower shop." Ren said.

Sumire cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Flower shop? What do you mean?" She asked.

"What? I mean that whenever I go there to meet with you, you're always in front of that flower shop. Or what I can guess is a flower shop because the streets are so crowded." Ren said with annoyed tone.

Ren doesn't mind walking around and he's far from anti-social, but sometimes, the people were just annoying. Trying to push his way through got old. Sumire stared at him for a second before she finally realized what he was talking about.

"Ohhhhhhhh." She said before giggling. "That's not a flower shop, Ren." 

Ren blinked a few times before responding.

"It's not?" 

"Hehehe...no, silly. It's a bakery." She said.

Ren face-palmed at this. All this time, he thought it was a flower shop because of the display they have in the front. But then again, he couldn't really see much else due to the abundance of people. After feeling like a moron for a few seconds, Ren had another question for his girlfriend.

"Wait...you go to that bakery almost every day?"

Sumire was currently drinking her coffee, but she responded with an "Mm-hmm"

"Why?" Ren asked.

"Because they have amazing combo platters." Sumire said with one of her usual sweet smiles. 

Ren's jaw dropped a little bit in shock. Ren knew that gymnasts like her had to eat more than their fair share of food, but this was something else entirely. Sumire just loves to eat, plain and simple. Then again, Ren has completed the Big Bang Burger Challenge multiple times, so he really had no reason to talk.

"What kind of platters do they have?" He asked.

"Anything really. Teriyaki, sushi, sandwiches, you name it." She said as she finished the last of her coffee.

Looks like Ren has a new place to visit. 

"They also have coffee, but it's nowhere near as good as this." Sumire said.

Ren laughed a little bit at that statement.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Two weeks after I first arrived here, Sojiro wanted me to help him out around the store. He told me that "Ladies love a guy who can make a good cup of coffee".

Although he was pretty much dead tired, he had enough energy for one last Joker grin of the day. Ren then leaned over the bar the same way when he and Sumire had their first kiss. Sumire was a little surprised by this, but funny enough, she wasn't a blushing mess like she was the last time. 

"Glad to see was right." He whispered. 

Now Sumire was blushing, which satisfied Ren. No matter how hard she tries, she can't stop herself from becoming flustered whenever Ren teases her. But she wasn't shaking or as nervous as she once was. And she proved that by nuzzling up to Ren's cheek, who did the same. Once they were done nuzzling, Sumire checked her phone to see what time it was. It was almost 8:00 PM.

"How is it already eight?" Ren asked.

"Time flies when you're having fun I suppose." Sumire said with a smile. 

"Looks like it."

Ren took both of their cups and put them in the sink when he got a message on his phone. 

"ATTENTION: All metro lines are currently under maintenance. They are expected to be operational again at 11 AM tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Ren then turned to look at Sumire, who was stunned.

"Uhh...that's not good. How am I supposed to get home now?" She asked with concern.

"Can your dad pick you up?" Ren asked.

Sumire shook her head.

"No, he's out of town and won't be back until Saturday. And it's too late and cold to walk there. I also don't have the energy right now."

Sumire looked really upset and understandably so. Ren thought of suggesting that he would walk with her, but he's also exhausted. There was only one other option and it was probably the most awkward one.

"You can...uhh...stay here for the night?" Ren asked with a blush.

Sumire's nervousness made itself known once again. She's never spent the night with a guy before. Even if it is Ren, it still put her on edge. 

"S-stay...h-h-here? I...don't know Ren..." She said while looking away. 

"Hey, I feel just as awkward as you do right now. But, what other choice do you have?" Ren said as he went to pick up his bag, lock the door and flip the sign to “Closed”. 

Sumire knew he had a point, but being alone in his room with him was so nerve-wracking.

"I...um...t-thank you Ren." She said.

"My pleasure. Coming?" He said as he walked up the stairs.

"Y-yes. I'll be right there." 

Sumire needed to calm down first before she made things even more awkward. Meanwhile, Ren had just entered his attic. After he put his bag down, he went straight to the box that had his clothes in it. He wasted no time changing into his sleepwear. As he re-inserted the box back into the shelf, he mentally kicked himself for feeling so awkward around Sumire. And inviting her to stay with him for the night made it worse. Ren's never invited a girl to stay with him before.

A few minutes later, he heard Sumire come up. Her trademark blush was still on her face, but she was much more calm. Ren found this a little strange because she was about to quiver with fear a few minutes ago. When he thought about it, she's really come a long way from when he first met her. 

"Are you okay Sumire?" He asked.

She turned to look at him and gave him a shy smile.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a little nervous. We've...never been alone like this."

She was right. Ren and Sumire had been "alone" before like when they were in the gym during Sumire's practice or in the Ferris Wheel, but they were still in public. This time they were really by themselves. No one else was around to bother them. 

"Huh, you're right. I didn't really think of it that way." Ren said as scratched his cheek.

"Umm..." Sumire trailed off as she looked around awkwardly.

Ren caught on to what she was doing.

"Uh...you can have the bed Sumi. I'll just sleep on the couch." He said as he frantically got up.

"What? No, that's not fair...this is your room." She said.

Ren smiled and shook his head.

"It's fine. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I made you sleep on the couch? He said with a sly smile.

Sumire looked down with an embarrassed smile and moved her foot from side to side.

"Thank you." She said as she walked over and placed her bag beside his bed.

Before she sat down, however, something else popped into her mind. What was she going to wear? She was still wearing her Shujin uniform, which probably isn't too comfortable to sleep in.

"Uhh...Ren?" She said.

"Yeah?" He said as he continued to rummage through his shelf.

"I...umm...don't have anything to sleep in." 

Ren paused for a minute to process that. He turned around to look at her and pinched the bridge of his nose when he realized she was still wearing her uniform. The exhaustion has really taken a toll on him today.

"Uh, let's see here..." He said.

Sumire watched as he pulled out that huge box on the bottom of his shelf. The same box he went through a few minutes ago. 

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Trying to find something for you to wear." He said.

Now things have gotten even more awkward. If being alone with Ren in his room wasn't nerve-wracking enough, wearing his clothes just added to it. 

"Y-y-you don't have to do that, Ren. It's alright." She said awkwardly. 

Right after she said that, Ren threw her one of his black t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. It wasn’t an aggressive throw, but Sumire could tell that he was really cranky. Ren then put the box back in it’s proper place again. Sumire was a little concerned for him.

“Ren...is something wrong?” She asked.

Ren turned to look at her. Sumire could see the dark circles under his eyes. He was really exhausted and just wanted to go to bed.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired and agitated.” He said plainly.

Ren got himself a spare blanket and pillow from his shelf and went to the couch. The couch has never felt so comfortable before. As Ren shook out his blanket, he heard Sumire groan a little bit.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as he looked at her.

Sumire tensed up a bit and clutched the clothes he’d given her. That alone made Ren realize what the problem was.

“Oh right, sorry. You can use the bathroom downstairs to change. It’s in the back.” He said.

Sumire breathed a sigh of relief. If things weren’t already awkward, changing in front of Ren would have certainly done it. She made her way down the stairs while Ren turned the lights off and laid back on his pillow with one hand behind his head.

While Sumire was busy changing, Ren’s mind wandered. 

“It’s only a matter of time now...” He thought.

It’s almost time to face Takuto and end this madness once and for all. But before Ren could dwell on that further, Sumire popped into his mind. He had spent the entire day with her and enjoyed every second of it. But something was gnawing at him. He didn’t want to end the night like this. He wanted to spend more time with Sumire before tomorrow. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sumire coming back upstairs. The lights were off so he couldn’t make out much detail until she got closer toward the window above his bed.

And what Ren saw made his eyes widen, his jaw partially drop and heart flutter. Sumire’s red hair shined a little bit from the pale moonlight. The shirt she was wearing was kind of big on her. It was all the way down to her thighs. Speaking of which, she wasn’t wearing the sweatpants for some reason.

Ren noticed that she was holding her Shujin uniform in one hand and the sweatpants with the other. Sumire then crouched down to put her clothes in her bag so she wouldn’t lose them. As she crouched, her shirt rose up a little bit, which exposed a little bit of her skin and her violet-colored underwear. 

Ren felt the heat radiating off of his face and ears as he just couldn’t take his eyes off her. And as if seeing his girlfriend in her underwear for the first time wasn’t enough, she then pulled out the ribbon that was keeping her hair in a ponytail. The way her hair flowed when it was let down was enough to make Ren’s heart to pound even more.

Ren was brought out of his trance by the sound of her bag zipping shut. She stood up and turned around to look at him. When she did, she gasped and brought a hand to her mouth when she realized that Ren was watching her the whole time.

Lucky for both of them, the moonlight only reveals so much, so none of them could see each other’s blush. 

“R-Ren! Were you staring at me this whole time!?” She said with a panicked voice.

Ren started to trip on his words. He was caught red handed.

“Uh...I...well...you...yes..?”

Sumire responded with what sounded like a groan mixed with a child-like whine. She also pulled her shirt down to cover her lower half. It’s not like Ren hasn’t seen her bare legs before, but he understood why she was embarrassed.

“S-sorry...I didn’t mean to stare at you like that...” Ren said as he awkwardly scratched his head.

Sumire gave him an embarrassed glare.

“But since we’re on the subject...why aren’t you wearing the pants?” He asked.

“Because they’re too big on me...” Sumire said through gritted teeth.

Oh dear, she’s angry. Ren actually started regretting everything now.

“Sorry Sumire...”

Sumire got into Ren’s bed and wrapped herself as much as she could with the blanket. When she was done, she turned her attention to Ren and crossed her arms. Boy, is Ren in hot water now.

“Why were you staring at me?” She said with her cheeks puffed out in anger.

Although Ren was probably about to be told off, he had to admit, Sumire is adorable when she’s angry. But he still owed her an answer.

“Well...I...uhh...” He started.

“Answer.” 

“Because...uhh...”

“Because what?” She asked sternly.

And Morgana thought Ren could be cranky. Looks like Sumire’s crankiness was awakened when she caught Ren staring at her.

“Uhhh...”

Sumire just gave him an even scarier glare. Ren went wide eyed at this and actually held the blanket up to his face for cover.

“Ren...” She growled.

“Because I can’t get over how beautiful you are, okay!?” He blurted out as he jolted up from his pillow. 

Sumire was taken back by this. It’s not like Ren to react that way.

“...huh..?” She said confused.

“I can’t help that I find you attractive Sumire! You’re my girlfriend, I love you more than anything, I think you’re the most beautiful girl in the world, I want to be with you forever and I just couldn’t take my eyes off you! We’re going to be risking everything tomorrow and I’m scared that I’ll never get another chance to see you again and tell you that! There, I said it!”

Ren panted and tried to catch his breath. Only when he calmed down he realized he just screamed at Sumire. Dread and regret washed over him as tears formed in his eyes and started to stream down his cheek. Ren then turned around to face the couch and covered his head with the blanket.

Sumire was at a loss for words. She doesn’t know what’s more shocking; the fact that Ren just admitted he wants to spend the rest of his life with her or that he started to cry due to the fact he yelled at her.

Once she finished processing everything, Sumire’s perplexed look turned into a bright smile.

“Ren?” She called.

He didn’t respond.

“Ren.” 

He still didn’t answer her.

With that, Sumire unraveled herself from the blanket she wrapped herself in and walked over to him. She gently uncovered his head from the blanket and called his name again.

“Ren...” She said sweetly.

He didn’t answer but he did shuffle around a bit and tried to cover his head again. Obviously, she didn’t let this happen as she caught the blanket.

She got down on her knees and started rubbing his head. Sumire felt Ren flinch from the sudden touch.

“Your hair is so fluffy.” She said.

Ren laughed a little bit at her random compliment. She started to giggle herself. He then felt himself being turned around by her. When he looked at her, she had nothing but happiness emanating from her face. She wasn’t angry anymore. Ren looked into her red eyes with guilt. 

“Sorry...” He said somberly.

“For what?” She asked.

“Yelling at you...”

“You have nothing to apologize for sweetie. I know you’re just really stressed and tired. And about what you said, I’m scared too. But I’ve never felt more motivated.” Sumire said.

Ren was confused by this.

“Motivated?” He asked.

Sumire nodded.

“I’m motivated because I have someone to fight for. You. Obviously, I’m fighting to save everyone and the future. But there’s no future without you in it, Ren. At least not for me.” She said as she started hugging him.

To say Ren was stunned would be an understatement. Sumire’s words were so heartfelt and loving. And she was right. He has to fight Takuto. To fight for his friends, to fight for everyone’s free will and his future with Sumire. There will be a day after tomorrow!

“Ren.” She called again.

“Yeah?”

Sumire cupped his cheek and looked him dead in the eye.

“I love you more than anything too.” 

The smile on her face once again made Ren’s heart pound again. Ren returned the smile and sat back up to embrace her, which she reciprocated by wrapping her arms around his neck. Because of the embrace, Ren could feel how fast her heart was beating. The two then faced each other and leaned in for a deep kiss.

—————————  
2/3 - Friday - Morning

Sojiro finally arrived at LeBlanc. As he was unlocking the door, he felt something brush up against his leg with a meow. It was Morgana. Sojiro was slightly confused by this because he’s always with Ren, so why was he outside?”

Sojiro unlocked the door and stepped inside with Morgana, who immediately went up to the attic. Sojiro had placed the keys to LeBlanc back in his pocket and placed his hat on the hook next to the door. He then made his way to put away the groceries he just bought and put on his apron. But before he could do so, he heard a loud, cat-like screech.

“What the hell...?” He muttered. 

Worried that something was wrong, he went up to the attic to see what Morgana was screaming at. He was then introduced to a sight that made him immediately regret that choice. 

On the floor were two black t-shirts, a pair of sweatpants, boxers and violet underwear. Sojiro and Morgana then looked at the bed and could not believe what they were looking at. Ren and Sumire were half covered by the blanket as their legs were sticking out. Sumire was lying on top Ren with her hand on his chest while he had her wrapped in his arms. Although the sunlight made it a little difficult to see, both Ren and Sumire were rosy cheeked. Sojiro and Morgana were lucky that they were still asleep and didn't hear Morgana's screaming. 

After they had finished processing what they had just seen, Morgana and Sojiro looked at each other in disbelief and quickly, but quietly hurried back down the stairs. When Sojiro and Morgana were back down stairs, Morgana jumped into the sink to wash his eyes with his paws while Sojiro let out an exasperated sigh and put his hand on his forehead. 

If things were the way they were while Ren was still new here, Sojiro would have thrown him out as he is right now. But over time, Sojiro has come to care about Ren as if he was his son. As Sojiro went to get his apron and start the curry, he thought about how Ren was just like him when he was younger. Sojiro smiled and even let out a small laugh as he remembered the antics he pulled when he was Ren's age. 

"That damn kid..." He said with a chuckle.

Morgana then emerged from the sink soaking wet.

"Why are you smiling and laughing!? Do you not understand what they did, old man!?" Morgana said as he shook himself dry.

"Of course I understand what they did, I'm not-" Sojiro stopped midway as he realized that Morgana just talked. 

Morgana was equally as surprised. Sojiro could never understand him before as all he heard was incessant meowing, so how come he can understand him now? 

"Holy...you can talk..." Sojiro said in surprise. 

"You can understand me..." Morgana said with wide blue eyes.

Sojiro and Morgana started at each other for a good minute before Morgana broke the silence.

"How is this possible? It's not like you ever went to Mementos and heard me talk there. If you had, your cognition would have been altered. And you never understood me before, so what gives?" Morgana said.

Sojiro was at a loss for words. So, not only did he see the kid he was taking care of in bed with a girl, his cat is talking in complete sentences. 

"I...you...what the hell is going on!?" He shouted.

"Shhhhhh!" Morgana shushed him.

"Huh?" 

"Keep it down, you're going to wake those two up. Ren was really tired and cranky yesterday. We also have to settle things today, so we need him in top form." Morgana said.

"What? Settle things? With who? Did he get into another fight?" Sojiro was full of questions, but his concern for Ren seemed to be his top priority next to Futaba.

"Uhh...no, not really. But we are going to fight someone." Morgana said plainly.

Sojiro shot him a glare. Ren was already on probation, so getting into another fight would send him straight to juvenile hall.

"Oh like hell you are! His sentence is almost over! Getting into a fight would undo all of the progress he's made!

The fact that Ren and Sumire were still sleeping is a miracle. Sojiro was so loud...

“Well, if you’re done yelling, I’ll explain it to you, old timer.” Morgana said in a snarky tone.

“Fine. But don’t ever call me “old timer” again.” Sojiro said pointing a finger at Morgana.

Morgana had explained everything to Sojiro. He explained how Takuto was able to warp reality after Yaldabaoth was defeated as well as his reasons for it. He also explained how he and the Phantom Thieves were affected by this false reality and that they eventually broke out of it.

“I see. So, let me see if I got this straight; your school therapist became so grief stricken by the death of his girlfriend’s family, who left and forgot about him as a result, and is now so determined to promote happiness that he’s become a wish-granting, reality-warping maniac.” Sojiro said as he pieced things together and stirred the curry.

“Pretty much.” Morgana said plainly.

Morgana heard Sojiro sigh. He was still processing everything. Too much had happened too fast in the past 35 minutes.

“I hope you know that what you kids are planning is dangerous. I mean, how do you plan to beat someone who bend reality at will?” Sojiro asked as turned to look at Morgana.

“That’s why everyone is so on edge. It’s scary. For all we know, Takuto could snap his fingers and we’d vanish in an instant.” 

“And since Romeo up there is the leader, he’s taking it harder than anyone right?”

Morgana looked down with a sad look.

“Yeah...as each day passed, he became more and more stressed. I’m surprised he hasn’t lost it yet.” 

Sojiro remained silent. He put the lid on the curry to keep it warm and walked out to get today’s brew going.

“Morgana.” He called.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being there for him through all this. I can’t say I completely understand what’s going on, but the fact that I’m talking to a cat is enough for me to believe all this. I remember seeing the fight you guys had with that giant Christmas ornament you called a god.” 

Morgana laughed at that. Yaldabaoth was one of the most powerful forces the Phantom Thieves has ever encountered and Sojiro just straight up roasts him. Sojiro went back to the curry to give it another stir.

“But you kids stuck together through it all. You believed you could win, you believed in the future and you believed in yourselves. You may not know what’s going to happen, but as long you, Ren and the rest of the Thieves stick together, there’s nothing you can’t overcome.” He said with a smile.

“You got that right.” Said a voice from the bar.

Sojiro and Morgana turned around to see Ren sitting at the bar. He was wearing his sleepwear, his hair was a little messier than usual and he was rosy cheeked. 

“Well look who finally decided to grace us with his presence.” Sojiro said with sarcasm.

“Good morning to you too.” Ren countered with his own sarcasm.

“Guess what Ren?” Morgana said as he jumped on his lap.

“What?”

“I can understand him.” Sojiro answered.

“Yeah I know. I thought maybe one of the others were here, but then I saw it was just Morgana and you responding to him. And when did that start?” 

“About 45 minutes ago.” Sojiro said scratched the back of his head.

“Oh.” 

Sojiro then got this smile on his face and Ren immediately recognized it. It was the same smile from last night.

“What?” Ren asked.

“So, Romeo, where’s Juliet?” Sojiro asked playfully.

Ren lifted his eye brow in confusion. Sojiro then pointed upstairs and Ren could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a second as he realized what Sojiro meant. Ren’s face turned completely red.

“Uhhh...you must have been seeing things. Ren said.

“Oh? So you’re going to tell me and Morgana didn’t see the pair of girls underwear on the floor and a red haired girl laying on top of you.

“With no clothes on.” Morgana added.

“Who knew you took jokes literally? Or, at least I hope you did. You were gentle with her last night, right?” Sojiro said in a joking tone.

Ren quickly nodded and with his hair the way it is, his nodding made him look like a bobble head.

“Wait a minute...”

Sojiro just tricked him into admitting he and Sumire were extremely intimate last night. Morgana burst out laughing and fell off Ren's lap while Sojiro shook his head snickering. 

"To think it would be that easy getting it out of you."

Ren let out an exaggerated groan while burying his face in his hands.

"Heh, relax kid, I'm just playing with you." Sojiro said as he put his hand Ren's shoulder.

When Ren recovered from his embarrassment, he had the most unamused look on his face.

"I really wish you hadn't seen that..." He said through gritted teeth. 

"Well, it's not like I was expecting to see that." Sojiro said as he placed a plate of curry in front of Ren.

Morgana finally recovered from his fit of laughter before jumping back up on the bar. 

"Don't worry Ren, we're not judging you." Morgana said with a smug tone.

"Yeah, sure. Actually, it's bold of you to assume you can judge seeing as how it'll never happen to you." Ren countered with his Joker grin.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Morgana screeched.

"Well, for starters, you're a cat." Sojiro said as he emerged from the back. 

"No I'm not! I'm a human!"

Ren and Sojiro just looked at each other.

"Does he do this often?" Sojiro asked.

"Irritating, isn't it?" Ren said as he took a bite of curry. 

"Hey, I'm not irritating! Morgana shouted.

"Tell yourself that often?" Ren said with sarcasm. 

"Ok, name one thing that makes me irritating." Morgana said as he stood up and did his best to cross his paws.

Ren just gave him the side-eye while he drank is coffee.

"I'm waiting." 

"Remember the first three weeks after we met?" Ren asked.

"Yeah?"

"Count how many times you told me go to bed within that time-frame and tell me you're not irritating. Go on, I'll wait." Ren said in a mocking tone.

"I was just trying to be helpful!" Morgana said.

"Telling me to go to bed when I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night is helpful to you?!" 

"Yes!"

Sojiro just watched as Ren and Morgana went back and forth. As much as Sojiro hates having people squabble in the cafe, he had to admit that it was entertaining. But he's still trying to figure out why he can understand Morgana now.

"Ahem." Sojiro cleared his throat to get Ren and Morgana's attention.

"As interesting as this is, I still want to know why I can understand what Morgana is saying." Sojiro said bluntly.

"Yeah I was thinking about that during our little argument and I think I have an answer to that." Ren said. 

"Well, what is it?" Sojiro asked.

"Well, for starters, do you have any recollection of when you were still with fake Wakaba? Ren asked.

Sojiro adjusted his glasses as he thought.

"Actually, yes. I remember that Futaba, Wakaba and I were in front of a store and Futaba was complaining that she was hungry. You walked up to us and said something about this not being real. After that, the last thing I remember was some kid washing the dishes. He asked me if there was anything besides curry for dinner and the rest is history."

"Do you remember what the kid looked like?" Ren asked.

"Hmm...he had short black hair, blue eyes and was wearing what you're wearing now. But he did have a high pitched voice." 

"Ok, that pretty much proves my theory. Here's how I think you gained the ability to understand Morgana; when Morgana spoke to you when he was still "human", Morgana himself never really changed. When the illusion was broken and things went back to normal, he turned back into a cat. I'm thinking that since the illusion was so easily broken, Morgana never really turned into a human. It's what Takuto's false reality wanted us to see him as." 

"That sounds true and stupid at the same time." Morgana said.

Ren just shrugged and went back to eating his curry.

"Well, I guess that answers that. Guess I should just be grateful I can talk to him now." Sojiro said as he sipped his coffee.

"By the way Ren..." Morgana started.

"What?" Ren said as he turned to Morgana with his mouth full of curry.

"Why hasn't Sumire come down here yet?" He asked.

"Not sure. She's probably still sleeping." Ren said.

Right on cue, Sumire had sauntered her way down the stairs. She was back wearing her Shujin uniform again, but her hair was down.

“Ren, I left your clothes folded on the...bed...” Sumire trailed off as she saw Sojiro and Morgana giving her a playful smile. Ren, on the other hand, gave her an uncomfortable look that said “They know.”

Sumire’s face then became as red as her hair along with Ren. She gave an apologetic bow to Sojiro.

“Awww, now this is adorable. Ren’s face is the same color as his girlfriend’s hair. Hey Ren, when Halloween hits again, the two of you can go as cherries.” Morgana said.

Sojiro also started laughing. Sumire covered her face in embarrassment and while Ren glared at Morgana. 

“Hey Sumi?” Ren asked as he slowly turned to her.

Sumire slightly lowered hands so her eyes weren’t covered.

“Y-yes?” She stuttered.

“You remember what we do with naughty cats named Morgana?” Ren asked with a sinister, yet playful tone.

It took Sumire a second to realize what he was talking about. That’s when she lowered her hands and revealed her own sinister smile.

“Why yes, Ren...I do remember.” She said as she walked towards Morgana, who was frozen in fear.

Sojiro had no idea what they were talking about and resorted to reading his newspaper.

“W-w-what are you two going to do?” Morgana said as he feared for his life.

Ren and Sumire then looked at each other, then back at him with the most evil smiles. Morgana’s started backing away as Sumire inches closer to him and Ren cracked his knuckles.

“TIME TO BUTTON MASH!” The couple said in unison.

“NO NO NO STO-AHHHH! IM SORRY!” That was all Morgana could say before Ren and Sumire grabbed him and gave him the button mash of a lifetime.

Throughout the commotion, Sojiro looked over his newspaper and saw the couple pretty much torture the poor cat.

“SOJIRO! HELP!” Morgana cried out.

“Hey!” He called out.

Ren and Sumire looked at him as he glanced between the two. What he asked next caused them to blush immensely.

“You two did use protection last night, did you?”

Ren and Sumire looked at each other for a second and then back at Sojiro.

“Yeah...” Ren said.

“Alright, just making sure. You have enough to deal with already. Have fun. He said as he raised his newspaper to his face.

“Oh we will...” Ren and Sumire said in unison.

“I-I-IM G-G-O-N-NA P-U-U-K-E!” He manages to blurt out in between the button mashes.

Poor Morgana. He can never catch a break.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, you’re a legend! Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> So, I have a small confession to make. I did not expect to make this so long. Some of you may think it’s better if this was in chapters. However, that’s not how I roll. I’m one of those people who just has to write down their ideas. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed this very long fanfiction. Seriously, this was 30 pages long, which I’m very proud of. I actually just might make this a series because I can’t think of a better title and everything has tied into the other two fanfics I’ve written. 
> 
> Lastly, I’m just gonna get this out here because I’ve seen this happen to other writers. Please do not, under any circumstances, take the scene between Ren and Sumire and add detail after their kiss. 
> 
> Again, thank you for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. If you have any feedback, don’t hesitate to leave it in the feedback. Also, leave what you would like me to write. I’m always up for suggestions. See you in the next story!


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